Pope Leo XIV dedicated the morning of this Friday, October 10, to a series of official meetings in the Apostolic Palace. Among those present were officials from the Curia’s dicasteries, diplomatic representatives of the Holy See, bishops from the United States, a Japanese cardinal, and international delegations linked to the life of the Church.
He met with Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, accompanied by Mons. Armando Matteo, secretary for the Doctrinal Section of the same body.
Fernández, popularly known as “Tucho”, is considered one of the men closest to the Pope, not only during the pontificate of Francis, of whom he was a confidant and collaborator, but also now with Leo XIV, who has chosen to keep him in his position at the head of the doctrinal body. Today’s audience reinforces the idea that Rome continues to trust him as a key piece in guiding the theological lines of the universal Church.
Other audiences
The Pontiff also received Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, in its section dedicated to first evangelization and new particular Churches. On the diplomatic front, Leo XIV held a meeting with Mons. Nicola Girasoli, titular archbishop of Egnazia Appula and apostolic nuncio in Slovakia. Subsequently, he met with Mons. Timothy Broglio, military ordinary of the United States and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, accompanied by Mons. William Lori, archbishop of Baltimore and vice president, as well as the general secretary, Rev. Michael J.K. Fuller, and the deputy general secretary, Rev. Paul B.R. Hartmann.
Among the audiences, the one with Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, archbishop of Tokyo and a relevant figure in the Church in Japan, also stood out, in addition to the delegation from the Aid to the Church in Need Foundation, an organization that provides pastoral and humanitarian support to persecuted communities. Finally, the Pope greeted the participants in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, within the framework of the Jubilee Year.